Not guilty in axe-murder trial

Ashleigh Pechaluk, right, was found not guilty of all charges stemming from the Oct. 27, 2006, bludgeoning death of Dennis Hoy, 36, while he slept in the bed of his long-time girlfriend Nicola 'Nicky' Puddicombe, left.

A woman was acquitted today of murdering her lover's boyfriend in a bizarre love triangle.

A jury found Ashleigh Pechaluk, 24, not guilty of all charges stemming from the Oct. 27, 2006, bludgeoning death of Dennis Hoy, 36, while he slept in the bed of his long-time girlfriend Nicola 'Nicky' Puddicombe.

Pechaluk, who has been in custody since that day, almost 3 1/2 years in jail, was freed at 4 p.m. after the jury rendered its verdict.

She hugged her lawyers Peter Zaduk and Kristine Connidis and then embraced her mother Bev Salton for several moments as both women shook with emotion.

In summing up the prosecution case earlier yesterday, Madam Justice Mary Lou Benotto called Puddicombe "a master manipulator who carried on sexual relationships with Dennis Hoy and Ashleigh Pechaluk at the same time."

The jury, which began its deliberations at 3 p.m. Monday, returned its verdict after four days of deliberations. Crown attorneys Tom Lissaman and Maureen Bellmore argued that Pechaluk is the axe-wielding assassin who killed Hoy in a plot executed by her and Puddicombe, so that the lesbian lovers would be free of his meddling.

Pechaluk, 24, maintained her innocence, saying she never intended to kill Hoy. Once she rejected the scheme at the last hour, she testified that Puddicombe alone murdered him. Her co-workers universally liked the easy-going Pechaluk, who once aspired to become a police officer.

Benotto had said the jury members must first understand the dynamics of the love triangle of Puddicombe, Hoy and Pechaluk, her lover of 13 months, before they could decide if the prosecution had proved its case against Pechaluk.

"Puddicombe had Ashleigh Pechaluk believing she (Puddicombe) was being forced to have sex with Dennis Hoy," said Benotto in her charge yesterday.

"She wanted to pump up Ashleigh into a frenzy of hate, so that she could kill Dennis Hoy," said Benotto. Hoy was found bludgeoned to death by an axe as he slept in Puddicombe's bed.

Puddicombe convinced Pechaluk that Hoy, a GO Transit officer and her boyfriend for 11 years, was a high-ranking member of the Hells Angels motorcyle gang, a killer and a drug dealer, said Benotto. Pechaluk also believed that Hoy "controlled Puddicombe," although there's "no evidence of that (or Hoy's criminal activities)," said Benotto.

The lesbian couple also indicated the timing was perfect since Hoy had recently had his car tires slashed and was sleeping at their home. The women wanted the police to search for an assassin who'd invaded their home to kill Hoy.

Pechaluk divulged details of the murder scheme to co-worker and confidante Sarah Sousa, who became a key Crown witness. Sousa knew inside details of the plan, including what Puddicombe would tell the 911 operator and police and where the assassin would have found a murder weapon inside their Queensway Ave. home.

Puddicombe, now 36, will go on trial, starting on Monday at Superior Court in front of Benotto. The trial is expected to last six weeks.